Actuating device for car-brakes



(No Model.) Y

J. A. BRILL. ACTUATING DEVICE FOR GAB. BRAKES.

No. 424,170. Patented Mar. Z5, 1890.

N. Pneus, mmrwgnpher. wmangwm 'ua UNITED STATES "PATENT OEEICE.

JOHN A. BRILL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ACTUATING DEVICE FOR CAR-BRAKES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 424,170, dated March25, 1890.

Application filed February 6, 1890. Serial No. 339,437- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN A. DRILL, of the city and county ofPhiladelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Actuating Devices for Car-Brakes, dac., ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements, as hereinafter claimed, inmechanism adapted for actuating car-brakes, the gripping devices ofendless-cable railways, dac., and involves the employment of a levermade in sections jointed together at the fulcrum of the lever, and meansby the actuations of which the lever-sections may be connected, wherebythe sections may be rocked together or be left free to rockindependently of each other. v

In the accompanying drawings, which show only those features deemednecessary for illustration of a suitable embodiment of my improvementsadapted for operating the brakes of street-railway cars, Figure l is aview in side elevation, and Fig. 2 a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

In accordance with the organization represented by the drawings, thebrake-actuating mechanism is supported by the platform or end flooring Aof `a car adjacent to the dashboard A. The controlling-lever of theactuating mechanism is made in two parts, consisting of the main sectionor handle portion B and the lower or supplemental section B', and theseparts are jointed together by a pin or pivot C, constituting the fulcrumon which the lever rocks4 The levcr-fulcrum has bearings c c, suitablysecured to the car flooring or platform, and between these bearings thesectional lever is mounted by its fulcrum, a slot or elongated openingbeing made, as usual, in the flooring to allow of the proper movementsof the lever, the lower portion or supplemental section of which passesthrough the slot.

In order that the supplemental section of the controlling-lever may belocked in its position of adjustment when in actuating the brakes, thelever is operated, as in turn to be described, curved holding-racks D Dare provided, as usual, and a pawl b for engaging these racks is carriedby the supplemental section of the lever. This pawl is controlled insuitable way to disengage it from the holding-racks to release the leverwhen-the brake is to be thrown out of action.

As shown, the pawlcontrolling devices consist of the trip-handle a,pivoted to the main section of the controlling-lever near the handlethereof, and the rod or link d, connecting the trip-handle with thepawl.

The supplemental section of the controllinglever is connected in anysuitable way with the brake-shoes-as, for instance, by way of the rod Ein well-known manner.

In order to provide for connecting the sections of thecontrolling-lever, so that; they may be .rocked together in onedirection as though made of a single piece, while providing also forindependent movement, as desired, of the sections about their jointedconnection, the sections are adjustably coupled together by a suitablecoupling-connection, preferably in manner as next to be described.

The inner end of the supplemental section of the jointedcontrolling-lever is widened and bifurcated and receives between itsforks the lower end of the main section of the lever. The forked end ofthe supplemental section `of the lever is curved and toothed, so as toform two segmental racks F F, one at each side of the lower end of themain section of the lever. A sleeve G, having ratchet-like teeth at itslower end and adjustable by sliding cndwise uponthe main section of thelever, serves to normally lock the two sections of the lever together,the teeth of the coupling-sleeve engaging the racks F F. Thecoupling-connection between the two sections of the lever is practicallya pawl-and-ratchet connection. It will be seen and it will be unstoodthat by raising the section G of the couplingconnection so as todisengage it from the racks F F the two lever-sections,instead of beingheld rigid with each other against independent movement in onedirection, have no connection, except by way of the lever-fulcrum, aboutwhich they may be rocked independently. The pawl-like sleeve G of thecoupling-connection is actuated to throw it out of operation by means ofthe triphandle aand a chain H, iiexibly connecting the sleeve andtrip-handle. The chain H is of a length slightly greater than thedistance between its points of attachment to the trip- IOO handle andsleeve-pawl G, the chain being of a length such that normally it hangsslack, so that greater movement of the trip-handle is required to movethe pawl-sleeve out of engagement with the racks of the supplementalsection of the lever than is required to disengage the pawl b from theracks D D. In this way the sections of the lever may, if desired, beheld connected, while the pawl b is actuated to free the lever from thecontrol of the racks D D.

Instead of actuating' the coupling-pawl G by means of the chain andtrip-handle, modiied means may be employed-such, for instance, as thetreadl'e-lever I, connected with the coupling-pawl by the link J, andoperating in obvious way to throw the couplingpawl out of action. Boththe treadle-lever and the chain may be employed,'if preferred.

Various other modifications may be made in my improvements withoutdeparting from my invention-as, for instance, by using but one of theholding-racks D, instead of two such racks, by omitting one of the forksof the supplemental section of the lever and using one rack F, insteadof the two, as shown, and by the employment, in lieu of theratchettoothed sleeve-pawl G, of a simple one-tooth pawl pivoted orsliding on the main section of the controlling-lever.

In operation, (with the parts in position, say, as shown by Fig. 1,)when it is desired to apply the brakes, the handle-section of the leveris moved away from the dash-board, thus moving the supplemental sectionof the lever (now coupled with the main section) in the oppositedirection and operating on the brakes through the connection betweenthem and the lever. The pawl ZJ locks the supplemental section of thelever in the position into which it is thrown, and by tripping this pawlthe brake mechanism is freed from control. When, however, as sometimeshappens with the ordinary brake-actuating mechanism, thecontrolling-lever cannot be given sufiicient throw to properly apply thebrakes, because of the limited space allowed for movement of the lever,it would in the operation of myimprovement be only necessary to reversethe movement of the lever-handle and then again move it away from thedash-board. Inv reversing the lever to get a further action upon thebrake mechanism the two sections of the lever are automaticallyuncoupled, the pawl G riding over the racks of the supplemental sectionof the lever, as will readily be understood, this supplemental sectionbeing held firmly by the pawl b. In renewing the action of thecontrolling-lever upon the brake mechanism the two sections of the leverbecome again coupled together, and at the end of the further movementgiven to the supplemental section of the lever it becomes irmly held bythe pawl b. When, in releasing the brake mechanism, there is not roomenough, because of the dash-board or other obstacle, for movement of thelever-handle while coupled with and compelled to partake of the swing ofthe supplemental section, then the lever-sections are uncoupled byraising the pawl G, either by the trip-handle or the foot-lever, thusallowing independent movement of the sections and permitting thesupplemental section to swing to the extent desired without moving thehandle-section.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination of the controlling-levercomposed of a main section and a supplemental section adapted forconnection with the mechanism to be actuated by the lever, thelever-fulcrum at which the sections are jointed together, and anadjustable couplingconnection between the lever-sections, by theactuations of which the lever-sections are coupled and uncoupled,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the brake-controlling lever composed of'a main anda supplemental section jointed together at the leverfulcrum, anadjustable coupling-connection between the lever-sections, by theactuations of 'which the lever-sections are coupled and uncoupled, andpawl-and-rack mechanism for holding and releasing the supplementalsection of the lever, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, in devices for actuating car-brakes, dac., of thecontrolling-lever composed of a main section and a supplemental sectionworking in a slot in the supporting platform or iiooring and adapted forconnection with the mechanism to be actuated bythe lever, thelever--fulcrum at which the sections arc jointed together, thepawland-ratchet coupling-connection, `by the actuations of which thelever-sections may be connected to rock together in one direction orleft free to rock independently of each other, and the pawl-and-racklnechanism, by the actuations of which the supplemental section of thelever is locked and released, substantially as and for thc purpose setforth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

' JOHN A. BRILL. Witnesses:

E. HOWARD BURKE, THEO. H. MCGALLA.

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